


The Paperback Wizard: A Preview

by TearfulSolace



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Crime Scene, Date Night, Detective!Fjord, Drug Withdrawal, Ghost!Nott, Homelessness, Magic Ritual, Therapy, brief mentions of self harm, description of corpse, eluding to drug use, forensic terms used, it's a seance, mental health, silly family traditions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2019-11-12 02:09:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18001793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TearfulSolace/pseuds/TearfulSolace
Summary: This is a preview of a modern AU I'm working on. It was originally inspired by Dresden Files but its evolved far beyond that to something more like Supernatural. Without giving away to many details:Caleb had a dangerous job in Arcadia Florida and now he wants to settle down in Austin Texas. He's inherited a book store from his previous boss and he fully intends to stay out of trouble. But the psychic who works a few doors down has other plans for the new bookstore owner.





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys. This is a preview/introduction to my new AU I'm writing. Wanted to throw it out there and see what kind of reception it might get. 
> 
> To explain the fandom mashup up, it's mostly Critical Role with dnd mechanics. However I got a lot of inspiration for the AU from Dresden Files TV show, and later on the books. As I was writing I realized that later chapters have a lot of Supernatural vibes.
> 
> I also got a lot of inspiration and advice from gayshitiguess and her 'From the Bell Jar' series. You should def go check it out. 
> 
> This is not the official post, and details may change.
> 
> ****IF YOU SUBSCRIBE HERE, I WILL POST AN UPDATE WHEN THE ACTUAL STORY GETS POSTED. ALSO, i'M CONSIDERING POSTING SNIPPETS AS I WRITE*****
> 
> Update: as of 7/1 I have 10 finished chapters, with 50k words, and I'm a little more than half way through and I'm excited to share. Hopefully soon.

The sun was just hitting the horizon when the last boxes were moved from the UHAL and through the glass doors of his new store in Austin Texas. Caleb Widogast stops in the doorway and watches as the movers set the last bookshelf down mostly where he had asked them to place it. It'll take a few hours in the morning and probably several pulled muscles before he got them just right. The movers all shuffle out with polite goodbyes and close the door behind themselves. 

Caleb breaths a sigh of relief. Over 1200 miles in a UHAL with a stranger, and a lead box in his lap was 1200 miles to many. But he couldn't be more excited to say good bye to Arcadia. He'd spent the last several years in that cesspool of a city fighting for his life, barely surviving and he was ready to move on. 

"Nott?" He goes to open the lead box he had insisted ride with him during the move, and set it on the store counter the moment they arrived. Inside are a few important documents, a very rare book, a Scooby-Doo pencil, and a small goblin skull. "How are you feeling schatz?" He pulls out the pencil, putting it behind his ear, then takes up the goblin skull, which is covered in arcane symbols scratched into it. As he locks the box, putting it under the counter a fine gray white mist emerges from the eyes of the skull and solidifies next to him into a small Goblin girl. 

"Like I've been jostled in a box for 2 and a half days...." Nott makes a show of stretching, though they both know she didn't need to as he makes to lock the door. 

"I know lieb. But we talked about this before, it was probably better for everyone involved that you not appear suddenly and scare the driver of the large truck we were riding in. Ja?" He puts the skull on top of a small box labeled "linens" and lifts them both before moving up the stairs tucked away in the back corner of the store. 

"Yeah yeah, don't scare the mortals. Anyway, this place is pretty snazzy." The goblin form disappears for a beat then reappears at the first landing of the stairs, "you're gonna live here too?!" She asks excitedly before disappearing as Caleb turns onto the second flight of stairs. He can hear her voice again as she calls out to him, "you're living your dream Caleb! You own a book store, AND you get to sleep in it!"

Caleb comes to the top of the stairs and chuckles, "Ja, I suppose I am." The room he steps into has a couch and two arm chairs pushed against one wall, another 5 book shelves shoved into a cubby-like office space created by the shapes of the bedroom and bathroom, surrounded by a virtual mountain of boxes labeled "personal books", and a small TV on a nightstand against the outside facing wall, leaving the center of the room filled with boxes with various labels. All of this was in what would be considered a living room straight in front of the stairs. Directly to his right is a small kitchenette and an island with more boxes labeled "kitchen". 

He passes through this room and into the small bedroom to find Nott acting as though shes jumping up and down on the bed (luckily the movers assembled it for him), though the bed shows no movement when her feet make contact.  He places the box on a heavy wooden chest set at the foot of his bed; habitually reaching out with his magic to test that the Arcane Locks on it have not been tampered with; and flips the light switch. "I think I will make the bed and retire for the night. Will you be okay 'til morning?" He places the skull on the nightstand in the far corner of the room between the bed and the wall and begins pulling out sheets and a thin blanket from the box to make the bed. 

Nott moves off the bed to stand next to him. "Of course I'll be alright. I'm dead." She gives him a toothy grin. "I'll test the limits of my bindings and see how far I can reach in the store while you sleep."

He gives her a small smile as he moves to find a box in the main room with some clothing he can change into. "Thank you Nott. We will need to find a safe place for your skull where you can reach everywhere in the store, and also I will need to get those shelves in the proper places. The movers were really quite careless." 

He enters to the bathroom just off the living room to change and continues talking through the slightly cracked open door. "Once I get the shelves right, which may take most of the day, I can start getting the books up. Luckily Gilmore and I packed them by category so that should be easy, though time consuming." When he comes back out of the bathroom in a clean, though slightly wrinkled shirt and his favorite plaid pajama pants with the Scooby-Doo pencil twirling between his fingers, Nott has taken to looking out the windows down to the street. Caleb joins her, looking out above the buildings to the skyline. 

"It's a beautiful city isn't it?" He asks in a quiet voice, the pencil stilling in his hand. 

"Not sure yet, I haven't seen much of it," comes her easy reply, though Caleb can hear the faint sound of sadness that often accompanies talk of her confinement.

"True... After I get the store in condition to open, we can take walks around and explore the area on the weekends, alright?" He turns to his oldest friend and gives her a sad smile. "This will be a new beginning for us. It will be good for us both, I hope." After sharing a moment more at the window together, Caleb makes his way to his new bedroom, placing his pencil next to Nott's skull, snapping his fingers as a heavy ball of ginger fur materializes on his pillow, and collapses face first into his mattress to recover from a long day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There IS more coming. I'm working on a ton of research for this story and I've got 2 chapters writen in first draft. But I really want to hear what you all think?


	2. A Call with Gilmore: A Preview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb reaches out to his mentor for assistance with an issue, after the call he has a brief flashback speaking to his therapist, and has a very brief mental health episode. (If anyone has a better term to explain what he goes through, please let me know.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is an excerpt from chapter 3. It expands a bit more on Caleb's relationship with Gilmore, as well as some of his therapy. Shows his state of mind through both the move, and through what's going on in my plot. 
> 
> **Some details have been changed to avoid major spoilers.**
> 
> I'm not really sure how many of these i'll be posting, but I'm excited to share some of these scenes with you all. Enjoy. 
> 
> (Where you see * and ** you can scroll to the end notes to get a brief explanation for the references.)

"No no. That wont work either Gil. It's a poltergeist, not a shadow person."

"Hmm." Comes the velvety voice of his mentor from the cell phone. "You're right, dear." He can hear Gilmore chuckling and flipping the pages of some of the books he had in his study. "Well you could try a variation on the Bligh Bond Banishment?* Though that might be a little extreme."

"Ja. I was thinking the same. I would like to avoid blowing out all my windows." Caleb is sitting on the floor of his office space upstairs one leg out stretched, books spread around him in disarray as he flips through the one on his lap. 

"You could always try a Paschal Randolph approach?**" Caleb can hear the suggestive tone in his friend's voice and he feels his face heat in a blush. 

"Ja no. Not going to happen. I might as well just ask it nicely to leave...." He pauses in his reading, as does Gilmore. He contemplates the notion of just  _asking_ a dead person to get out of his house.

"Well..." Gil starts slowly. "I mean you  _could_. Not so sure how well that would work out. But what harm could it do?"

"I suppose your right." He takes a few deep breaths and Gilmore waits patiently on the phone. Caleb reaches for his magic to empower his words like he did just a few hours ago and begins to speak. 

"Lost spirit stuck in the material plane. I implore you to please go and leave me in peace." Before he's even finished speaking a picture frame with a caricature of Frumpkin crashes off the wall onto the floor and shatters the glass across the hardwood. Caleb lets go of the magic and lets out a frustrated groan as he lets his head fall to his hands. 

"It was worth a try. Now, here's an old favorite of mine, not so extreme and works on more then just ghosts, it'll add to the wards around the building. Not so sure about poltergeists specifically but it's worth a shot."

Gilmore spends the better part of the hour explaining the intricacies of making charm bags. Before they ended the call they talked a few minutes about how the new city was and how Caleb was adjusting to running the business. Gil told Caleb how the rest of his friends were. Percy and Grog were still hunting down and killing things, but Gil says they're much more cautious now. Keylith had moved back home and took a job as a park ranger, but she called frequently. Caleb couldn't really blame her for separating herself after what happened. 

"Be safe Caleb, please" Gill says, and Caleb can hear all the grief and sadness wrapped into those words. They're heavy like stones as they hit Caleb in the lungs. 

"You know I try." His reply is just as heavy with unspoken meaning. 

After he ends the call he sits for a moment, books splayed out around him, Nott humming along to music on the TV. He misses his friends. But he wanted a safer life. He blinks and for a moment he's back in Arcadia, in his therapist's office.

_"Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for what you want Caleb," said Dr. Trickfoot when he told her about wanting to move._

_"I don't... I don't want to leave them. Gilmore saved my life, and he just lost..." Caleb can't say it, can't intone_ that  _into being. Not yet. "I don't want to leave him. Or Grog and Percy. They need me. And I... I'm scared of being alone again... What if I'm not ready to be alone...?"_

_"These are all viable concerns Caleb. I'm very proud that you're weighing these things. Now, do you think Mr. Gilmore would want to hold you back? Do you think he would do that?"_

_"No, never. He... as much as I find it hard to believe, he wants what's best for me. He always has. If I said I wanted to leave, he'd probably help me pack..."_

_"Hmm." She hums. "And, you? What are you afraid of for yourself?"_

Back on his office floor he finds himself scratching at his arms where he had pushed his sleeves up to work. He hates what he sees there. There's a tattoo of a dagger with a raven head on the hilt, one of his most prized possessions on the underside of his wrist. But above that there are a criss-crossing of scars up and down his forearm, some self inflicted, some not. He finds himself staring down at the scars, but not really seeing them. His fingers scratching harder and harder without him meaning to. The pressure turned pain is grounding, he pushes harder... 

"Caleb?" Nott's voice is small when she speaks up. He takes a sudden breath, remember to breath, the spell over his mind broken and jerks his hand away and faces her. "How are they? Did you get anything we can use?"

He clears his throat before speaking, "Ja. Ja I did." The ingredients might be an issue but using the charm bags would be simple enough. He'd have to keep the store closed in the morning and go out looking for the components. He scrunched his face up at the prospect of losing more business, but he had sold one of the spell books he kept locked up behind the counter on Friday, and the money from that would help make up for the loss of regular sales. 

He lets out a long drawn out sigh as he lays back on the floor, ending up splayed over several of the books he had been pouring through. His arms thrown out to each side, his sleeves now pulled back into place and his eyes turned up at the ceiling. "At least it's not a boggart..." He muses to himself, trying to find a joke in the mess. Another coping mechanism he uses frequently. 

"You should sleep." Nott's big yellow eyes come into view staring down at him as she leans over him, her hair hanging around her head, nearly touching his face. 

"Hmm." He closes his eyes for a moment, feeling the exhaustion of the day hit him. He had felt several emotions since noon. Had a few shocks. And that was still on top of him still trying to adjust to this new life and the move. His arms felt heavy and he finds himself struggling to lift his eye lids again. 

"In your bed," she adds. He can feel her ghostly fingers trailing along his cheek and jaw and he smiles, somewhat sadly. 

"Five more minutes?" He jokes to her before finally forcing his eyes back open. After a moment to steel himself he strains up into a sitting position and slowly makes his way upright. "Bed it is. Not like I can do anything about the crazy dead person right now. If it manages to kill me in my sleep, you get all my stuff, ja?"

Nott laughs lightly. "I'm the only crazy dead person allowed." She calls out to the room. She follows him silently to his bedroom and stands at the door as he crawls under the sheets. "Now that I think about it, what is _this_ dead Goblin gonna do with all your stuff?" 

Caleb laughs tiredly. "You'd figure it out I'm sure... Goodnight schatz..." 

"Goodnight Cay." Her voice is soft and fond as he drifts off to sleep. And if she stands watch all night? Well no one was around to know. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Bligh Bond was an architect from the late 1800's. I found his story kindof interesting and decided t write him into my story. In my universe, he had an interest in old architectural buildings and would frequently encounter spirits because most of the places he hung out at was haunted. So he developed a style of banishment that became somewhat popular in open fields or older buildings. It's not used often with new buildings because it tends to be a bit "explosive" with the energy release, causing a blast of cleansing energy out from the caster. 
> 
> **Paschal Randolph was an occultist in the mid 1800, and perhaps the first person to introduce the principles of erotic alchemy (sex magic) to North America. In my universe, Paschal developed a banishment involving a sexual ritual.


	3. Reflection: A preview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb finds himself in bed after an interesting day reflecting on memories of his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you all seemed pretty excited about the last snippet I posted and I'm feeling inspired, so here's another from chapter 2! I obviously don't want to share to many good parts, or spoil the plot because then what's the point of actually publishing? But I have so many little things here and there I want to share with you all to show the general tone of the story and to get to know my version of Caleb.

Later that evening Caleb finds himself in bed with Frumpkin finishing up 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'. He's on the last few chapters so he figures it's best to just stay up the extra hour and finish rather then wait til morning to finish it. He can still hear Nott in the living room with the TV volume down low watching a syfy horror movie. 

He pauses in his reading and allows himself to feel this moment of peace. Since they've moved he's had plenty of these little moments where he feels his chest tighten and his eyes prickle. He closes his eyes and smiles to himself. Every day he finds himself in a state of shock that this is his life now. He's safe and warm. He has a home and he has a friend. He has a cat. Truly the  _best_ cat. He scratches Frumpkin's ears as he lets himself have this moment. He reminds himself that not everyone makes it to this point. Some get lost along the way.

He looks over to the wall by his door where several photos and memos and tickets to events have been pinned to a cork board. From this distance, and in the dim light he can't make out the faces or details, but he has them all memorized anyway. There's a picture from when Keylith convinced everyone to go to the zoo together, there's a picture of himself standing with Percy holding a shooting target when Percy insisted he learn how to handle a gun and surprised them both when he actually did okay, there's a few pictures of him sitting near Gilmore pouring over research in Gil's private library, there's one with Nott standing on a table in the middle of a Christmas dinner and everyone laughing while Vex yells for her to get down. There's a ticket from when Gilmore took him to a German musical, a stadium ticket when Grog asked him to go to a baseball game with him because Vax and Percy had work and he didn't want to go alone. Countless memories are pinned to that board, countless more are pinned in his memory. Mostly happy, but some are bittersweet with loss. 

There was a time a few years ago, before he was taken in by Gil, when he would've recoiled at the thought of himself being happy. He would've punished himself just for thinking it. He hadn't thought he deserved it. And maybe back then he didn't. But with Gilmore and Dr. Trickfoot's help, with his family's help, he realized that he's allowed to have these moments to himself without feeling guilty. He deserves nice things sometimes. 

He's still smiling and wiping at some of the stray tears he had allowed to escape as he heard some banging around from the kitchen. He turns his head towards the door with a curious tilt. The door was half closed to help filter some of the TV noise, but the sound seemed to be a little heavier then something Nott could usually manage. "Nott? Do you need help looking for something?" He heard her quiet "what?" from the living room. Before he could respond with another question he heard the loud crashing noise of many, many things shattering to the hardwood in the kitchen and Nott making a startled squeal. 


	4. Caleb is having a bad day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb is having a bad mental health day and Nott is here for the rescue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the views on this is getting crazy yall, for just a preview. Here's another peak from ch 4, with some things redacted for spoiler reasons. He had just had a flashback and it pushed him over his limit for the day. 
> 
> But enjoy.
> 
> (Also i just wanted to say that as of right now, intro + ch1-4 is sitting at 13,934 words. My 8 ch fic was 30,000 in the end. I have at least 8, maybe more ch for this arc, plus 2 more arcs seperate from this planned. This is gonna be a beast yall.)

"What happened back there? Are you okay? You haven't done something like that in a while. Should we call Dr. Trickfoot? Was it that man? When he comes back Monday I can make him leave." She goes on while he makes his way back upstairs. She's still talking when he crawls into bed, forgetting to take off his shoes. 

But she quiets as he grabs the extra pillow and starts crying into it. 

"Oh. Caleb...." He feels her cold fingers lightly brushing through his hair. She stays silent over the next 10 minutes as he cries himself out, her fingers never stilling. And when he's finally reduced to hiccups and sniffles he speaks, his voice rough and broken.

"He asked me to ride his motorcycle, Nott. I just... I got so scared... And I... I went back to Arcadia for a second, when... ** **REDACTED** **"

"Shhh, shhh Cay. It's alright. He's not going to make you, you heard him. You're taking a taxi." She really wanted to help him but this isn't really her forte. 

"I keep thinking about them Nott. About how I left them.... Should I have stayed? Did I abandon them?" He looks to her, his eye desperate, his face blotchy from crying.

"Oh hush. You know you didn't abandon them. Better yet, they know you didn't abandon them. Every one knows you weren't safe there anymore Caleb. If you ever wanted to settle down, you had to leave. Every tall, dark and nasty was gunning for you in Arcadia." He laid his head back down on the pillow and they were both quiet for a few moments, Nott's hands still ghosting through his hair. 

"I know that..." He says, quietly. "I do. But sometimes my brain makes me feel bad for it... I know they're not mad at me, or blame me. They would never... But my head tells me I'm garbage and I did a bad thing by leaving Arcadia..."

"I know Cay. And it's okay to feel that way. But it's even better that you know it's not true. It's been a weird month. Your routine was interrupted by the move, now the ** **REDACTED** **. We just have to make it until things get more normal and then we can settle into a routine here. Saturdays are inventory, Sundays are movie night, Monday through Thursday is work and relax, and then maybe Fridays we can go on a walk or something. We just have to get rid of this ** **REDACTED** ** first, ok?"

"That sounds... nice.... Thank you Nott.... I don't know what I would be doing if you hadn't agreed to come with me...." He shuffles until he can kick his shoes off the end of the bed and wiggle under the covers. 

"You'd still be here. You'd still be dealing with a ** **REDACTED** **. And talking to a pretty tiefling." She pauses to watch Caleb blush. "You might even still be here crying." She says more gently. "But you'd still be here Cay. Because you're stronger then you think."

They lapse into silence again. Caleb still sniffling, and Nott shifting to lay down next to him and stare at the ceiling. "Thank you Nott. You're a good friend."

"I know." She smiles when he laughs at her humor.  _He's going to be okay._


	5. Caleb is Having a Good Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb and Molly has just finished a few hours of research anf have a little chat as they try to find a cab home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is their first time together. It is a simi-professional setting, but Molly is trying so hard to get to know the pretty nerd boy. 
> 
> Snippet from ch 5. 
> 
> This project is getting bigger and bigger and it keeps evolving and you all can thank elany on the WM discord for that. They have been the BEST sounding board.
> 
> Also, I added to the tags, but I need to tel you here there is a VERY mild reference to drug use. Like, 3 words? And its so subtle you could probably pretend it isn't there.

"So..." Molly starts, and Caleb turns his head slightly towards him. "We were so busy we didn't get to talk much. You said you were from Florida. What has you coming here to Texas? You don't seem to be a live music or party person."

 

Caleb is quite for a moment, considering his answer. Something about this strange purple man makes him want to trust him. The first time he met him he felt a physical pull towards him, something he still hasn't identified. He knows trusting a stranger is ridiculously dangerous, especially for a man like himself. He has to many secrets, to many demons in his past. Molly clearly has some connections with the dark side of this world, something Caleb came here specifically to avoid. But here he was tangling with it again. 

"I inherited a business. But the town I was in was not great. So I did some research, and found a better town. Now I am in Austin, being haunted by a dead person. And I miss.. I miss the people I left behind." None of it was a lie, but it's best to be as vague as possible he decides. 

Caleb sees Molly's ears drop slightly. "Oh, so you had family In Florida? That must've been hard to leave them." Molly's voice matches his expression, a look of understanding behind his eyes and Caleb wonders what part Molly sympathizes with. 

"Ja. A family of sorts. They are my friends, but they helped me through the darkest parts of my life." Caleb remembers the day Gilmore held out a perfectly manicured hand down to him, holding a sandwich as a peace offering. 

_Caleb wanted to hate the pretty man in his expensive business suit, and the shiny eye makeup and hair perfectly styled, and the perfectly tanned skin. But he was so hungry he really couldn't afford to be picky. He snatches the sandwich from the man and begins eating with a ravenous hunger. How long since he had actual food? Was it three days this time? Four?_

_He had expected the pretty man to leave after giving him the food, but after he finished about half of the sandwich, he realizes the man is still standing over him and Caleb's frantic chewing slows and he begins looking around for an escape. He was sitting against a wall near the mouth of an alley way. The man was standing in the opening. Caleb could try to run further down but he isn't sure which ally he's in, so he can't be sure there's an exit._

_"Thank you...." he ventures to say. He figures he should play nice. He can't be sure what the man actually wants from him. "I... I can't pay you back.. I'm sorry."_

_"Now now, there's no need for that." The man squats down where he stood. Caleb still feels cornered, but at least they're at eye level now. "I've heard you like books. And I've heard you've got a gift in the arcane."_

_Caleb eyes the man suspiciously as he still chews the last few bites of his food. A job maybe? He hadn't had a fix in almost a week, and the headache and the shaking in his hands were getting worse. If he could get some some money out of this man, all the better. "Ja. Sometimes. For the right price. What do you need me to do?"_

_The man smiles at him. But its a sad smile. One of pity. And Caleb hates it with a rage so deep inside his stomach curls, threatening to expel his hastily devoured meal. But if he wants the money, he has to play nice. The man speaks and his voice is irritatingly smooth and calming, "come with me. I can help you, and you can help me. How's that sound?"_

"I'm sorry." Molly's voice pulls him back to the present. "I didn't mean to ask anything painful."

"Oh, no no. It's not that. I mean, I miss them. And that's painful I suppose." Caleb thinks about his next words carefully. "And things weren't the greatest when I left. Which also hurts. But they are my family. And the things they helped me through, are just reminders that they care. I can look back on the darkest parts of my life and know, that isn't what life is meant to be. The smiles, the jokes, the dinners, and the home we shared is what life is about." He pauses and dares to take a look at Molly walking beside him. He has no earthly idea why he's talking so much, but he can't stop himself when he sees Molly's face. 

Molly has a smile of appreciation, of encouragement as he watches Caleb and listens. His eyes seem to sparkle in the street lights, more then they had before and Caleb notices how beautiful they are. "It took me a long time to realize that," he says to Molly before turning his attention back to the sidewalk in front of him. "To realize that there is almost always a light at the end of the tunnel." 

"That's.... That's beautiful Mr. Caleb. Truly." Molly's voice sounds tight, a little rough. Caleb slows his steps to stop walking and turns to Molly concerned.  _Not only does he think you're crazy, now you have made him upset. You are making friends quickly, Widogast,_ he chastises himself as he looks over the tiefling, who has also now stopped walking. 

"I am sorry. I'm not sure why I said those things." He looks down to where they're boots are only a about a foot about on the pavement. "That is heavy talk for a professional setting. Forgive me."

"Oh I don't mind," Molly waves him off, bringing a smile back to his face. "Molly 'overshare' Tealeaf is my name. Once I start talking, you'll never get me to stop. Besides, it's a lovely way to look at the world."

"Oh. Thank you. Like I said, it took me a while to adopt that philosophy. And even now I falter in my resolve. But Nott helps keep me on track. I am so thankful she agreed to come with me." Caleb's voice lightens as he turns to finish the walk to the corner and Molly perks up. He hadn't meant to make the situation so deep by asking about the man's family, but it seems that Nott is a topic that makes him happy.

"Tell me about Nott. She's interesting. How'd you meet her?" Caleb laughs and jumps into a heavily doctored version of how he met Nott the Brave. 

The taxi ride back stood in contrast to their first ride together. Caleb finished his tale about Nott, leaving out the names of his friends and refusing to discuss her bindings without her permission. But from there the conversation strayed from one topic to the next, light and easy. Molly was happy to see a different side of the man, talking animatedly about his best friend and some of the things they've done together. Molly shared his friendship with Yasha, the brusque, yet gentle woman on the phone at Fletching and Moondrop. 

When they arrived back at Paperback Wizard to drop Caleb off, Molly leaned out the window of the taxi after Caleb had climbed out, "Same time tomorrow Mr. Caleb?"

"Ja." Caleb smiles warmly. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Mollymauk."


	6. Research Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb and Molly are three days into their research and the flirting has BEGUN.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. I got myself a beta. (this section is unbeta'd, they're just starting to work through my ch2.) I've been told I'm terrible and tenses, so you're welcome for them taking a look. lmao
> 
> I am enjoying this au so very much, and I now have outlines for part 2 and part 3. Basic outlines, more like general ideas... But anyway. I can't wait to finish the first arc so I can start posting for you all. I think ch7 is gonna be a little less then halfway. I still have tons of story to tell.
> 
> Snippet from ch7.

Occasionally, Caleb would find a death nearby to his address, close enough to maybe cause a * **REDACTED** * to find its way into his home. He would mention the name and description to Molly, who in turn would say "no, that doesn't feel right. Keep looking." 

And it went like this for an hour or so, before Molly pointed to his screen, "what about this one. 'female, 19, found dead in ally off 8th st, puncture wounds around her neck, she seemed to have starved to death, and/or,' - it actually says - 'and/or,' jeez. 'And/or overdosed.' Oh goodie, there's a photo...." Molly turned his screen and Caleb looked up at it. 

The puncture wounds mentioned on her neck went all the way around, in a perfect ring. "That wasn't overdose. That was a Soul Wight. And they devour souls, so she can't be * **REDACTED** * ." His voice level and serious. It sounded matter-of-fact, leaving no room to question it. Caleb turned back to his screen and continued looking through his own list of names. Leaving Molly little stunned. 

"A... Soul Wight..? But I thought those were from the north?" Molly was stuck between being shocked that Caleb knew what a Soul Wight was, and being shocked at the idea there was one in Austin. 

Without looking from his screen Caleb responded, "ja, true. But last December, when that girl died, there was a mass migration due to hunters in the north trying to eradicate them."

Now Molly was absolutely baffled that this seemingly ordinary man, who occasionally dabbled in Magick would know a thing like that. Molly was constantly surrounded by that world, and even he hadn't known about the migration of Soul Wights through his own city. Molly stared at Caleb, who had his face glued to his screen. The blue in his eyes washed out by the white of the site they were using. Slowly Molly noticed Caleb turn pink, then red with a blush.

"Thank you," Caleb said suddenly, ducking his head bashfully. "I did not say so earlier, because I do not always agree with the praise given to me, but thank you for your compliment earlier, Mollymauk. It was very kind." Caleb turned to face Molly only slightly, and  _oh man that's cute._ Molly's scrutiny forgotten for the time being as he saw Caleb's blush high on his cheeks and spread to his ears. 

"I meant it," he blurt before he could stop himself, his own blush heating up his face, and he hoped Caleb wouldn't be able to tell. "I think you're cute. You know... when you..." Molly's confidence waning, "are excited..." Molly turned back to his own screen to avoid saying anything else awkward. 


	7. Meet Detective Fjord Tough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molly takes Caleb to a crime scene on a psychic hunch. Caleb meets Detective Fjord Tough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meet the Detective, ya'll. Ch7. This is where the plot really pics up. there is a plot and a sub plot and I wont tell you which is which. :P
> 
> Careful with this one, it's got some descriptions of a corpse, scientifically, forensically. But still. Its a dead guy, and it's described. Be aware.

As they got closer, Caleb recognized police uniforms, and a crime scene unit. Caleb and Molly were too close to pretend not to see.

"Ah, Molly!" A half-orc, dressed in jeans, work boots, and a plain t-shirt strode up to them. On the man's belt sat a badge declaring him as a detective, and on the other hip, a handgun, declaring him armed and dangerous in Caleb's book. "Thanks for coming by. And for the coffee." He reaches for the cup Molly had been holding and takes a sip before speaking again. "You here to help or hinder today?"

"That depends." Molly laughs. "You gonna pay me this time?"

"I called ya didn't I?" The half-orc had a very obvious Texan drawl, and his voice was a deep baritone. The combination had a soothing effect.

"That you did. Fjord, this is my friend Caleb, Caleb, this is Detective Fjord. I consult for the APD on occasion. And this is an ongoing case, I really just need some fresh eyes." Molly had turned to Caleb with a soft smile, Fjord seemed to be looking over Caleb critically. Probably trying to decide if he could trust him at his crime scene.

Caleb reached to shake hands with Fjord, "Caleb Widogast. It's a pleasure to meet you, Detective."

Fjord shook back, his hand was large, with old scars and callouses as if he was accustomed to using a sword. Just like Molly, and just like himself. Is everyone in this town a swordsman? "Fjord, please. Detective is so formal. So uh, you like Molly? Seein' and hearin' shit that ain't there?" Molly bumped Fjord's shoulder playfully.

"Ah, no. No I'm honestly not sure why I'm here. Molly I don't understand." He turned and gave Molly a questioning look.

Molly shrugged, "I feel like you might be the man to break the case open. Call it a professional hunch." Then he turned to Fjord again, gesturing behind them tot he other police, "may we?" 

Fjord jolted and turned towards the scene, "hmm. Yeah. This way. Young half-elf male, maybe mid 100's. Name's Evandar Mayoliquar. He was an avid night jogger." Caleb followed cautiously behind. "Same as the others. Ligatures on the ankles and wrists. Drowned. No witness'. We gotta catch this bastard Mols, soon."

"I'm trying Fjord, I am. But the spirits aren't talking. It's like they're specifically avoiding me when it comes to these drownings." 

Caleb stayed a few feet behind the others as they approached a small tarp over something, still half submerged in the water. He knew it was a body, even before Fjord motioned for a young tech with dark hair, to move the cover back from the face. Evandar would've been a handsome man, if it weren't for the fact that his lips and fingers were blue, and his skin almost as pale as his silver hair. 

The tech spoke, "Hey Molly. Same as the last three. Bruising on the wrists and ankles, indicating he was tied up when he went into the water, then struggled against the bindings. His eyes have petechiae," and Caleb saw the eyes were blood shot when she forced open the eyelid. "The thoracic cavity is distended. All heavily suggesting drowning. As does the fact that he's submerged in the lake...." she finished sarcastically.

"Thanks Ella." Molly said, crouching down next to the corpse as Ella backed away. "What can you tell me, friend? Who did this?" Molly closed his eyes, holding his hands over the body. 

While everyone else seemed to be intent on watching Molly, Caleb crouched on the other side of the body and took a closer look at the bruising on the wrists. From experience, Caleb could tell the bruise pattern was not from a rope or zip tie. It was several separate strands, wrapped around each limb. Every strand had differing patterns, and there were green stains around some of them as if from some kind of natural plant. 

Caleb stood suddenly and backed away, eyeing the water suspiciously. He knew what did this.  ****REDACTIED**.** He thought. He looked away from the body, and backed further from the water where a few onlookers were being held back by police. He watched Molly murmuring to himself, Fjord stood nearby giving instructions to a few people. Caleb tuned into the conversation the civilians were having. 


	8. The plot begins!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molly has gathered a strange assortment of people (My personal PC from DND, and a character dedicated to my grandpa) at Caleb's place to preform a ritual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is where one of the plots picks up. This is where things get a little cooky. It's a snippet from ch 10, which I am still writing. 
> 
> I had some personal stuff that hit and stalled me for a good 2 weeks, but I'm having so much fun with this au, I can't just abandon it. As soon as I got back, I pumped out like 3 chapters in four days. So I'M BACK BABAY. 
> 
> Delgrace is my baby. She is a halfling cleric I play in a homebrew campaign. Most of her story has been resolved, so shes relatively happy and a little excited to learn knew things. She loves information. (And may or may not have a half-orc boyfriend named Tarsh.)
> 
> Lewis is a character I wrote in to honor my grandfather who died this last Christmas. Gidget was his dog, his best friend for over 20 years. She passed away only a month after he did. Lewis loved music, piano, guitar, trumpet, etc. He led the band for his local church, and spent a lot of time in the church's prayer garden. He was a kind man, with a huge heart for any and all who needed comfort. This is my way of remembering him, even if it's a small part in my story, he has a fully fledged backstory and maybe one day I might write some stories about him too.

He didn't have to wait long, the last two guests arrived together, walking along the sidewalk. Caleb recognized their descriptions, and older human and a halfling woman, and the fact that the man had a service dog with him. 

"Hello. Welcome to paperback. You must be Molly's friends."

"Oh yes." The mans hair was graying with age, but his blue eyes were mischievous and alight with life. "You must be Caleb, it's good to meet you." Caleb shook the mans hand, calloused, as if from playing instruments. "My name's Lewis, and this is Gidget," he points down to the service dog, who sat calmly at Lewis' feet. She was clearly part husky, but her legs were a little short making her much smaller then one. "And this is Delgrace, a friend of mine."

"Hello there. I never knew there was a book store here. I might have to come back another time to shop." Delgrace was short, even for a halfling. Her skin was a deep chestnut color, her eyes a piercing green with a sort of intelligence behind them that was a little unsettling. 

"Oh ja, we just opened a few weeks ago, but we'd be glad to have you patronage." He waved them in and locked the door after them. "Mollymauk is already upstairs preparing. Please." He shows them the way upstairs, Nott beats them to the landing -- the cheater. 

 

______________

 

"Alright everyone," Molly called out. "I'm ready to begin if you all are." Everyone began moving closer to the center of the room where the circle had been drawn. "Good, Caleb, on my right, Caduceus, on my left please." Yasha brought the incense from the counter and set it in the center of their circle as everyone took a seat, knees nearly touching. She backed away and leaned on the wall near his bedroom door, Nott stood next to her.

"Alright, Caleb, a few notes." Molly locked eyes with Caleb for the first time since their date and Caleb felt his heart do a flip. "I know this is your first time," Molly smirked, "so first things first. When the circle opens, you'll feel your energy ever so slowly being pulled from you. That's normal, you're supplying me with the energy I need to reach over, and then once I get her here, she'll use it to hold on. Second, unless I am speaking, or the spirit in the center is the one speaking, do not engage. Alright?"

"Engage?" Caleb was out of his depth here.

"There are sometimes spirits that respond to my call that we don't want. They will try to get you to talk to them, make deals with them, use you. The circle should protect us, but sometimes..." Molly makes a face and Caleb doesn't need further explanation. "Basically unless it's the spirit I pull in, don't talk to them. And third, relax. You look like a statue with how rigid you are. Everything's going to be fine."

"Why does everyone keep telling me to relax....?" Caleb grumbles. Molly chuckled but before he turns away Caleb grabs for Molly hand. "Wait...." Caleb hesitates for a moment, six pairs of eyes on him, seven if you include the dog. Caleb was always worried about his own safety, but he'd never forgive himself if something happened to Molly while he was helping Caleb. Slowly, he pulled the pentagram charm from under his shirt, over his head and puts in in Molly's hand, which he had been holding. 

"Caleb." Molly's eyes soften. "You should wear this. It'll protect you."

"You're the one summoning spirits. You can give it back after, ja?" Caleb turns to the rest of the circle, effectively ending the exchange. He sees out of the corner of his eye Molly putting the charm around his neck. 

"Here we go." Molly sends one last nod to Yasha before he reaches for Caleb's and Caduceus' hands and closes his eyes. 

And Molly prays.


	9. Date Night preview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb and Molly finally have a date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I realized I hadn't posted a preview in a while. i got stuck with ch13 and I've kinda been idle for over a month now. But I think I finally got my rhythm back, and 13 is where the action part starts, so I think the ending is going to be coming soon. 
> 
> So, here's a cute excerpt from ch12, their first OFFICIAL date.

"That sounds lovely. Did you have any other silly traditions?" Molly scooted closer to Caleb as he tore his burger into smaller bites to make easier to eat as they talked. 

 

"Hmm. Let me think... Oh, when I got old enough to stop believing in  _Weihnachtsmann_ , Santa," he explained at Molly's confused look, "my mother thought it was cute to address all my presents from our cat, Frumpkin." 

 

Molly snorted, and nearly choked on his soda. "Your cat? That's adorable!" 

 

"Not to a very confused seven year old." Caleb couldn't help but laugh with Molly at the ridiculousness of it. 

 

"Seven? Don't kids believe in Santa 'til they're like, fourteen?" 

 

"How long did you---- _Oh_ , I hadn't even thought of that." Caleb's smile dropped. "I'm sorry Molly. I hadn't made the connection, that you would not have had that experience."

 

Molly shook his head as he washed down a bite with his soda. "It's fine, dear. Really. I came to terms with all that years ago. You really stopped believing in Santa at seven?"

 

Caleb was hesitant to continue that line of conversation, but by now he trusted Molly to redirect the conversation if needed. " _Ja_ , I was a... a bit of a smarty pants."

 

"Was?" Molly smirked, teasing. 

 

"Hush you." Caleb smiled back. "What about you? You said that... Gustav?" Molly nods, "Gustav took you in. Any traditions he gave you?"

 

"Well. He runs a second chance home, y'know? So I wasn't the only one he took in. There were always a lot of us staying with him and Desmond, his husband. Anyway, a few years ago this young girl, Toya came to stay with us, and she had this tradition left over from her family, that if you made eye contact with someone while eating corn on the cob, you had to keep eye contact and finish the cob. That one was so silly it stuck, and we still do it on the holidays. Many a Heimlich maneuver due to choking on corn while laughing."

"I'm sorry, you _what_?" Caleb was equally horrified and entertained. The thought of being forced to eat something as messy as corn on the cob while making eye contact drove him mad. But then he thought about how Grog and Scanlan would love the challenge, he couldn't stop himself from picturing it. 


End file.
